Decapsulation, Delidding & Verification

Decapsulation is defined in the industry as the act of using abrasive acids to etch the surface of the device until the internal die is revealed, allowing for visual inspection via microscopy. Devices with plastic packaging require a chemical decapsulation.

The main equipment for this process is acid-etch decapsulators; SMT Corporation currently owns four of these systems. Acid etching quickly and cleanly exposes a component's die for microscopic inspection without damaging the die.

Delidding is a mechanical process in which the lid is manually removed from the device to expose the internal die. Delidding is perfered for devices with ceramic packaging or hermetically sealed devices.

When the necessity arises to acquire absolute die verification, a destructive process is often required for a full visual inspection. In such cases, chemical decapsulation or delidding is the premiere choice of SMT Corporation, to ensure the authenticy of a device.

Obtainable Information:

Exposed wafer die (silicon or metallic)

Markings on die typically seen between 20x - 40x

Verification of logos and/or markings to compare against sample part number